The Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba, has defended the party’s decision to endorse James Gyakye-Quayson as their candidate for the Assin North by-election.

Despite the potential risk of facing criminal charges, Amaliba believes that Gyakye-Quayeson is the most suitable candidate to secure victory for the NDC.

During an interview on the Big Issue on Saturday, June 3, Amaliba said endorsing Gyakye-Quayson is a risk worth taking.

Amaliba further claimed that the New Patriotic Party is apprehensive about Gyakye-Quayson, which led them to hastily level criminal charges against him following the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“Putting Gyakye-Quayson is a risk worth taking,” Mr Amaliba said, adding, “The prosecution must prove that he had a criminal mind so the bar is high and that is why I would advise my General Secretary to put him up because he is a strong candidate for the constituency”

“They [NPP] are afraid of him and that is why when the Supreme Court ruled they quickly tried to cripple him by slapping criminal charges against him thinking we as a political party will abandon him so that they would have a field day.”

James Gyakye-Quayson on Thursday, June 1, officially declared his intention to contest in the Assin North by-election scheduled for June 27. He was previously removed from Parliament and had his name expunged from the legislative body’s records after the Supreme Court nullified his election in the 2020 polls due to his dual citizenship.

Gyakye-Quayson’s troubles began when the group “Concerned Citizens of Assin North” petitioned the Electoral Commission to withdraw his candidacy, arguing that he owed allegiance to Canada.

A resident named Michael Ankomah-Nimfah filed a petition at the Cape Coast High Court seeking to annul the declaration of Gyakye-Quayson as the MP for Assin North.

The Cape Coast High Court upheld the request, nullifying the 2020 parliamentary election in the Assin North Constituency due to Gyakye-Quayson’s breach of the constitutional provisions regarding dual citizenship.

On May 17, the Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the Cape Coast High Court and instructed Parliament to remove Gyakye-Quayson’s name from its records.